


Cold

by InconsistentUpdates



Category: Paladins: Champions Of The Realm (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I'm Bad At Titles, and summaries, this was suppose to be a short fic oops
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-18
Updated: 2017-10-16
Packaged: 2018-12-16 19:02:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,089
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11835039
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InconsistentUpdates/pseuds/InconsistentUpdates
Summary: It all started because Skye was cold.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> WOW FIRST SKYE/MAEVE FIC ON AO3 I FEEL BLESSED
> 
> Anyways, this fic goes out to the Mods of the blog @paladinsheadcanons over on tumblr. Check em out and give em some love cause they run a super cool blog :)

If there was one thing Maeve absolutely hated, it was being without her coat. She hated when it was too hot for her to wear it. She hated when it got dirty during a match, forcing her to give it up to the laundry pile. Her coat was precious and not just because it held her crystal. It had been with her during both the worst and best times she had with her crew. Being without it was like missing an arm or a leg. It was probably the most precious item she’s ever stolen, in fact.

Frostbite Cavern was one of her favorite places to have training battles, mostly because its cold winds gave her a valid excuse to wear it. She always felt more comfortable in the cold than the heat, so the chilling winds that occasionally blew through the spawn room never bothered her.

Skye, on the other hand, was suffering quietly in her battle outfit that, while offered stealth and mobility, lacked practicality. Fernando and Pip were chatting by the spawn doors, warmed by armor and fur, and Viktor was cleaning his gun and doing last minute checks of his equipment, unbothered by the cold with his own coat. It seemed she was the only one who noticed Skye’s quiet suffering.

She huffed and rolled her eyes. It’s not like it was her problem, right? She should’ve dressed appropriately for the match. It’s not her fault that Skye only had one combat outfit. Why did she even care?

From Skye’s corner, Maeve heard a small sniffle.

_No. No no no no no. No._

The sniffle was immediately followed by a soft sneeze.

She groaned, already undoing the belt that held her coat down against her waist.

The familiar weight left her shoulders, leaving her arms exposed. A shiver ran up her spine as she removed it. She walked over to the assassin and held it up indignantly. “Here.”

Skye’s eyebrows raised. “What?”

Why was she making this harder than it needed it be? “You’re cold.”

Skye didn’t look convinced, and gave her a skeptical look. “So you’re giving me your coat? The coat you refuse to ever take off? That you almost killed Zhin over?”

She growled, remembering when Zhin had singed the ends of her coat with his blade. “Listen, do you want it or not?”

Skye was obviously surprised that she hadn’t just revoked the offer entirely, and finally took it. “Thank you.” 

The response was quiet, but Maeve just caught it as she turned away. “Don’t mention it. Just keep it safe, will you? Give it back at the end of the match.” She walked away before Skye could respond.

She glanced back at her eventually, watching as Skye wrapped herself in herself in her coat. It was almost comically small on her. While it covered Maeve’s body entirely, it barely reached past Skye’s waist.

She didn’t realize she was staring until the countdown boomed overhead. Pip nudged her as she mounted her horse.

“I think I need to call Mal’Damba!” He said with a cheeky grin.

“Er… why?”

“Cause those pythons are sick!” He finished, laughing at his joke as he pointed at her exposed arms.

…

Oh.

_Ohhh._

She snorted. “That was horrible, Pip.”

Behind her she could hear Skye chuckling. The mental image of her wearing her coat suddenly popped up in her mind again. She was suddenly glad for the frigid wind, it was a good excuse as to why her face was so red.

_Please let me just get through this match so I can have my coat back…_

________________________________________

 

They ended up winning the entire match, despite the fact that since Maeve was crystal-less. It was a complete sweep, they hadn’t even let the red team escort the payload halfway to the point. Pip jokingly mentioned it was because everyone was too busy staring at her arms. Fernando countered that they were too confused as to why Skye had her coat on. 

She silently made a mental note to _borrow_ Fernando’s helmet when they got back to base. 

While everyone was grouped up in spawn, discussing the results of the match, what everyone could improve on and such, Maeve stood off to the side. She scanned the group, hoping to find Skye. The elf was nowhere in sight, and for a moment, Maeve felt a flash of fear.

“Hey, Maeve.”

Maeve refused to admit that she had jumped when Skye suddenly appeared behind her. 

“Uh, Hey.” she responded pathetically.

Skye offered her her coat back, which was nicely folded in her hands. “Thanks again for letting me use this. I know it means a lot to you.”

Her face was getting red again. _Damn wind._ “No problem.” 

She had her coat on faster than she even thought was physically possible. Putting it back on was like coming home. She reveled in its warmth for a second, her eyes closing contently. She hadn’t even realized what she had done until Skye stared laughing.

“What?”

“You were purring.” Skye responded, still chuckling softly.

Okay, she couldn’t blame the wind on her red cheeks this time. 

Skye backtracked quickly at her silence, holding her hands up in surrender. “It’s not a bad thing, I swear! It’s really cute, in fact.”

Skye winked at her. Maeve briefly wondered if it was possible to die from embarrassment. Thankfully, her savior came in the form of Pip calling her name, followed by a few wild gestures for her to join the conversation.

"I, uh, better go see what they want."

"That'd be ideal." Skye said jokingly.

Maeve turned her back and made her way over to the group, only to falter as she heard Skye whisper.

"See ya later, _kitten._ "

While she normally used it as a taunt in battle, hearing Skye use it now? 

...

It was the wind this time. _Definitely the wind…_


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maeve appreciates that Ying wants to help her, but seriously?
> 
> Well, maybe it's not that bad...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second chapter cause I love my flank girls!

When Maeve was upset she would hide in the rafters of the base. 

Not many of the other occupants of the Paladin’s base had the ability to get up this high, assuring Maeve that she had complete privacy when she needed to be alone. It had been just a couple days after that match, and Maeve's head was still reeling.

_Why did I give her my coat? I took myself out of my comfort zone just because Skye was cold. I nearly risked that match because she was uncomfortable. Why? It's not like it was my problem…_

"Maeve, are you ok?"

She snapped her head up, her eyes meeting Ying's. She sighed quietly in relief. 

"I'm fine, Ying."

Ying gave her a warm smile. "We both know that isn't true, Maeve. If you were fine you wouldn't be up here."

Maeve didn't respond, so Ying just swung her legs idly off the rafters, humming a soft tune. They stayed the way for a while, with Ying offering her silent support that Maeve had always found herself unworthy of.

"Is it about Skye?" Ying asked eventually.

Maeve almost lost her balance. She was glad she had years of training under her belt, or she really would've needed Ying's assistance.

"How did you know?"

The healer gave her a knowing grin. "Pip told me about the coat." 

_I'll take his goggles for that…_

Ying swatted her shoulder lightly. "Hey, I know that look! No stealing, Maeve. We talked about this."

Maeve grumbled under her breath. "Fine. And yes, this is about the coat."

Ying nodded slowly. "Okay. So, what about it is making you upset?"

Her eyebrows furrowed. "I don't know why I gave it to Skye."

"Hmm. Well, let's think of it this way. If I had been freezing cold in spawn, would you have given me your coat?"

"I guess."

"Why?"

"Because you're my friend, obviously."

Ying nodded again. Maeve pulled her legs up to her chest.

"So you would give me your coat because you care about me?"

"Yes, I know how friendship works, Ying."

"So maybe you care about Skye."

"But I don't know why I do!" Maeve protested. "We aren't even friends, not really. It wasn't my problem that she was cold, but I gave her my coat anyways!" She would never admit it out loud, but Skye always seemed 'out of her league' in terms of friendship. While she had easily found friendship with Ying, Pip, and Evie, forming a friendship with Skye felt… strange. Just being around her made her feel strange. It was why she had been successfully avoiding her since she joined The Paladins, at least until the coat incident.

Ying's smile never faltered. "Well, if you don't care for her in a friendly way, maybe you care about her in a different way."

She gave Ying an incredulous look. "Are… you trying to tell me I have a crush of Skye?!"

Ying giggled softly. "You said it, not me."

Ying's teasing tone made heat rise to her cheeks, and the lack of wind to blame it on made her redder. A pout formed on her lips, making Ying laugh harder. 

"It's not funny!" She retaliated by roughly nudging Ying with her shoulder, but it only served to make the elf laugh harder.

Maeve crossed her arms and waited for her to finish her giggle fit. _This is ridiculous. I do not have a crush on Skye..._

Ying must've sensed her inner turmoil, because she stopped laughing abruptly and rested a soothing hand on her shoulder. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable, Maeve. I just wanted to give you something to consider."

Maeve nodded slowly, still simmering in her denial, and let her legs drop and swing lightly. The silence returned for a short time, but Ying's yawn interrupted it.

"You should head to bed." She suggested quietly.

Ying smiled tiredly. "You should too."

Maeve scoffed quietly. "You know that won't happen."

With a shrug Ying nodded. "Well, it was worth a try, right? Goodnight, Maeve." She used an illusion to safely drop from the rafters. Maeve listened as her quiet footsteps slowly faded away until she was left in silence again. But this time, she was alone.

Maeve hated the silence. It gave her an awful feeling of foreboding, like something terrible was about to pop up and surprise her. Being with someone made it better, but now…

To remedy that, she did the only thing she could think of. She dropped down from the rafters and left the base. At such an ungodly hour, the only other people who could possibly be awake were Androxus, who probably never slept, and Seris, who also probably never slept. She scaled the outside of the tall building, skillfully leaping up onto ledges with all the grace of a real cat, until she reached the highest point. She found a place to sit comfortably, watching for what seemed like hours as the night sky slowly turned into morning. While she was with her crew, this had been one of her favorite pass times. Climbing the highest point of the tallest buildings and just watching the sunrise and sunset, until it either ended, or when a lawbringer would yell at her from the streets below to stop trespassing. She didn't know how long she sat there, watching the slow sunrise, but she found herself drifting contently. 

Until the sounds of heaving and groaning snapped her out of her daze.

She twisted her head around, and couldn't help but let her mouth drop open as she watched none other than Skye struggling to pull herself up to the roof. 

"Fucking… ledge!" Skye cursed silently. Maeve was frozen, unable to even comprehend what the hell was going on. 

Finally, Skye managed to get up the cursed ledge and climb up to where Maeve was. With a few deep breaths, Skye plopped herself down right next to her, flashing her a tired smile.

"Hiya, kitten. Hell of a climb, huh?" 

Maeve's mouth opened and then immediately closed. 

Skye laughed, still catching her breath from the climb up. "What? Cat got your tongue?"

She decided to ignore the awful pun as she finally found her words. "What are you doing up here? How did you know I was here?"

"Ying told me you could use some company," She answered with a small shrug. "She also mentioned that you would be up here."

_Damn you, Ying!_

"Oh… ok." She responded lamely.

"So, why are you awake?"

"I could ask you the same thing."

Skye smiled mischievously. "Only the best pranks can be performed this early. Let me tell you, Zhin is gonna be in for a major surprise when he goes for a shower in the morning."

Maeve couldn't help but chuckle imagining what Skye could've pulled off. 

"So what about you, tiger? Any midnight escapades?"

Compared to what Skye does at this hour, it felt almost embarrassing to admit. "No, just trouble sleeping."

Skye's eyebrow rose teasingly. "Usually if I have trouble sleeping I get a glass of warm milk, not parkour up the side of a building."

Maeve shrugged, not meeting her eyes. "We all have different coping methods."

It came out more sharply than Maeve wanted, and she winced as she saw Skye's teasing smile disappear slowly.

She sighed quietly, lowering her head. "Sorry."

"No, it's my fault. I shouldn't have pried."

"No, it's not your fault, I shouldn't have snapped like that. I've always had trouble sleeping… I was the lookout for my old crew. I'd have to stay up for hours, making sure everyone was safe, keeping watch for any Lawbringers that might wander too close for comfort. After a while I just… stopping sleeping normal hours. Just quick naps here and there, enough to get by. Nothing life changing, really. Just brings back memories."

She didn't see Skye's expression, but she heard her shift and slide up closer to her, her tone much more gentle. "So you watch the sunrise? Does it help?"

"Sometimes. It was the one of the only thing we could do for free, so we cherished it."

Right as she said it, the sun peaked over the horizon. While the view wasn't as good as it was from the city rooftops, it was still just as captivating. 

"Wow… it's beautiful." Skye whispered.

But Maeve couldn't bring herself to watch the sunrise, instead letting her gaze be drawn to Skye's expression of awe and serenity. 

"Yeah… it really is." She mumbled, turning back to the sunset.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maeve and Skye get closer courtesy of a few drinks and almost killing a man.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is so much longer than the other chapters but i couldn't find a good place to cut it down :')

Two things struck Maeve when she woke up. The first was that she didn't remember getting into bed or falling asleep.

The second was a pillow.

Literally. A pillow struck her head with enough force to wake her up, although not enough to keep the fog sleep left behind at bay. Evie's laughter filled the room as soon as she groaned.

"Wake up, Sleepy head! You've gotta see what happened to Zhin!"

A vague memory of sitting on the roof and watching the sunset appeared in her mind, but she brushed it off. "What happen to him?" she asked groggily.

Evie leaned over her and blew on her face. The ice witch's breath was almost bitterly cold, but it was enough to get Maeve's eyes to snap open and for her to jump out of bed with a violent shiver.

"Come ooooon! You’ve been sleeping forever, it's like, one!" Evie's almost permanent excitement was unnatural, yet it was more contagious than the flu. Maeve found herself smiling as Evie dragged her to the showers, where she could hear outraged yelling along with the sounds of dozens of suppressed giggles from the other end of the hall. As her vision finally cleared from sleep, she saw a few of her fellow Paladins huddled at the end of the hall, who were most likely the culprits of the suppressed giggles. Evie urged her forward and gestured to the shower room door.

Evie and Maeve peaked their heads in, and she almost lost it then and there. Zhin had a towel wrapped around him, thankfully, but what made Maeve laugh shamelessly was the fact that the Tyrant's hair was now a light blonde color instead of its normal black.

At the sound of the flanker's laughter, Zhin turned his attention to them. "You! It was you, wasn't it?!" he demanded.

"Nope. But I applaud whoever did!" She responded, popping the 'P' in 'Nope'.

Zhin glared harder at the two, obviously not believing them, but instead of making a bigger scene he decided to just storm off back to his room, ignoring both Evie and her own laughter echoing through the halls. 

The other occupants of the hall finally joined them as the Tyrant was finally out of sight. Ruckus approached Maeve from behind, patting the back of her leg seeing as he couldn’t reach her back. "You sure that wasn't you, Maeve? That was great!"

Maeve pretended to wipe a tear away from her eye and shook her head. "No, I swear it wasn't. And it wasn't Evie either, right?"

"I wish it was! It'll take forever to think of something better now!" 

Everyone laughed again, taking enjoyment in the prank against the Tyrant, but the telltale sound of uncloaking drew Maeve's attention. At the far end of the hall, her eyes met Skye's. The assassin gave her a mischievous smirk, and held a finger to her lips. And just like that, she was gone. Suddenly the memory of sitting of the roof became clearer, and with it came the sudden realization that it wasn't a dream. Subconsciously, she reached into her coat pocket, and her hand wrapped around a piece of paper that definitely wasn't in there in the first place.

"Maeve? What's wrong?" asked Evie.

Everyone's excitement died down finally, and now the attention was on her. She winced awkwardly and began to part from the small crowd.

"Nothing, just still a bit tired. I'll see you guys later."

She gave a halfhearted wave behind her as she walked back to her room, leaving behind confused murmurs and startled goodbyes. As soon as the door closed behind her she took the folded paper from her pocket and opened it, revealing the message it held.

_Hey tiger,_

_Hope you don't mind that I brought you to your room. You fell asleep on me on the roof! Can't really get too mad about it though, you were pretty tired. Maybe we could do it again sometime? I had fun!_

_-Skye_

Maeve could feel her heartbeat drumming throughout her body. For a split second, she found herself unable to take another breath. She tore her eyes away from the small note when she realized that her chest was burning from a lack of oxygen.

Silently, she slipped the small note back into her pocket and ran out of her room. She fully intended to run straight to Ying's room to ask for advice, only to realize that the healer was gone for a match in Splitstone Quarry. Now, with all this pent up excitement and no one to share it with, she decided to burn it off by training.

Or at least, she would’ve, had she not run into Fernando on the way.

“Maeve! We are all on our way to the pub. You should come!” he said with an inviting smile.

There was a crowd of her fellow Paladins already leaving, though a few heads turned at Fernando’s invitation.

Amongst them was Tyra, Viktor, Pip, Ash, and, to her dismay, Skye. Pip and Skye seemed ecstatic about the possibility of her joining them, and she couldn’t find it in her to say no. It’s not like she was doing anything, right?

“Okay…but I’m not paying.”

“That’s good, because Viktor here lost a bet!” yelled Ash, giving the soldier a rough pat on the back. Viktor groaned and hung his head as they all left in a group out of the base.

“What bet did he lose?” she questioned quietly.

“Ash bet that he couldn’t lift her cannon. He bet that he could. He lost spectacularly, and Seris had to fix his broken arm.” Pip replied with giggles between each sentence.

Maeve couldn’t help but giggle with Pip at the mental image of Viktor trying and failing to get Ash’s massive cannon off of him. As they walked, Maeve found herself falling behind as conversations started around her. Tyra and Viktor were having a debate with Ash about their respective weaponry, and Pip seemed to be hitting it off with Fernando about the last match, when they had spectacularly combo-ed their respective ultimates in the final defense of the payload.

Unable to find a place in either conversation, and unwilling to start a conversation with the only other unoccupied person in the group, she kept watch, as always. It was a force of habit, really. Constant vigilance, always be ready for an attack. Without the distraction of conversation, or something to do with her hands, the paranoia that leading her crew gave her returned. 

As they crossed into a more crowded area, she found her eyes darting everywhere. In alleyways, at suspicious folk that passed them, even at rooftops. Just because she joined the Paladins didn’t mean there weren’t a couple dozen people out there that wanted her dead.

Finally, they made it to their pub of choice. They were greeted by the bartender with a hardy hello, one that Fernando returned with full force. The pub was, thankfully, mostly empty save for a few drunken patrons huddled at a booth in the corner, seeing as it was still early.

Ash, much to Viktor’s dismay, ordered everyone a round of the most expensive shots the bar offered. The barkeep seemed thrilled to serve them, and had the shots lined up on their table in no time. They each grabbed a chair at the circular table, each of them in front of a shot. Maeve sat between Pip and Ash, right across from Skye, Tyra, and Fernando. The smell of the alcohol was almost overwhelming, and for a moment she considered asking Ash what in the world she ordered them, but before she could, Ash grabbed the shot and downed it without even a flinch.

Tyra and Viktor followed up soon after, only wincing lightly as the alcohol burned their throats. Fernando, like a mad man, sipped the hard liquor instead of downing it like a sensible person. Pip hesitated a moment before getting it over with, throwing the drink back to avoid its taste. He coughed a bit, prompting the table to laugh as Skye patted the healer’s back lightly. Pip removed his goggles to wipe his teary eyes and joined in everyone’s laughter. Now, only Skye and Maeve had their shots left.

Skye lifted the drink towards her with a small smile. “Cheers?”

Maeve lifted the drink with her own smile, her previous hesitations gone with just the sight of Skye’s confident smile. “Cheers.”

In unison, they downed the shots. The liquor burned Maeve’s throat, so much so that she could feel the heat of it in her chest as it traveled to her stomach. She coughed harder than Pip had, prompting both Ash and Pip to pat her back helpfully. It was clear from her reaction that she rarely drank, and she was ashamed to admit that she was a bit of a lightweight. 

Skye’s reaction was identical to Ash’s, leading her to believe that she was a seasoned drinker. “Woah, you good there, Maeve?”

She cleared her throat, but was unable to form a sentence, so she settled for a smile and a thumbs up. Everyone cheered quietly at her perseverance and Ash yelled for another round of less expensive shots, mostly to take pity on Viktor’s wallet. Apparently, the price of the shot determined how strong it was, because this time the shot went down smoother than the first one did. As the night wore on more patrons entered the bar, giving the tavern a cozy and warm ambience. However, with more patrons, the likelihood of trouble increased.

And that it did, as a burly man with a shaved head and covered in tattoos stumbled up to the table, his bleary eyes set on Skye. 

Maeve knew of his kind. The kind of man who thought he could get his way no matter what, and no matter what means it took. Her eyes narrowed, and the haze that the drinks left in her mind wore down a bit. Everyone else seemed to notice the man as well, and collectively gave him a dirty look that was obviously missed.

“Hey there, baby. I couldn’t help but notice you from the bar…”

She could see Skye visibly recoil from the man, presumably from the heavy scent of alcohol on his breath. “Charmed, but no thank you.” She said shortly.

She had to admit, she was surprised that Skye hadn’t responded the way she normally did, with flirty remarks or a sensual send off. Even with the almost immediate shutdown, the man still persisted.

“Aw, come on, girlie! I just wanna show you a good time…”

Maeve watches as the man’s hands lowers to Skye’s behind, and no one at the table can blame the alcohol for what happened next.

She pounces, using her chair to give her the leverage she needed to reach the man’s head. She wraps her arms and legs around the man’s neck, and doesn’t let go. She can hear him choking and gasping for air, and she can feel someone trying to rip her off him, but she’s being fueled by pure anger and alcohol. He tries to shake her off, and occasionally tries to swat at her or grab her hair, but she just strengthens her grip. She only stops when the man goes limp, and they both crash to the floor.

She breaths heavily through her mouth, her rage slowly dissipating. Now that she wasn’t occupied, she realized that all eyes were on her, and the bar had gone completely silent. Whoever tried to get her off the man grabs his limp form and carries him out of the bar with haste, casting a terrified glance back at Maeve before running away. Almost pettily, she flips him off as the door swings shut.

“Holy _shit,_ Maeve…”

The comment cuts through the tense silence like a blade cutting through flesh. She winces, and the buzz she had felt earlier wanes. All the other patrons look terrified, but her fellow Paladins seem everything but. Ash and Fernando look impressed by her strength. Tyra and Viktor are smiling, proudly? Pip, the one who had made the comment, stands on his chair and starts clapped and hollering, breaking the tension the other patrons obviously felt and prompting them to join in.

And just to seal the deal, Skye helps her to her feet and hugs her tightly around the neck, planting a kiss right against her cheek.

“My hero!” She announces loud enough for everyone to hear.

Now _everyone_ was cheering having seen the blatant display of affection. Maeve blushes bright red, and she can’t help the bubble of laughter that follows. Pip moves aside to Maeve’s seat, allowing the two flankers to sit beside each other.

Fernando, ever the instigator, yells for the barkeep to get everyone a round on him, only making the cheers deafening. 

The night wore on, and Skye doesn’t leave her side, almost as if she refused to leave her. Hesitantly, she pushes the thought out of her mind. It was probably just because she had helped her, right? Yeah, probably.

Of course, that wasn’t going to stop her from enjoying the feeling of Skye on her arm. Or the warmness in her chest whenever she looked at her.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maeve comes to a realization, and needs some help from an unlikely source.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried to resist adding my Main to this fic as long as I could but i couldn't resist.

Hangovers were the absolute worst. Hangovers could rot in the darkest pit of the abyss. 

Maeve had a hangover, her first in quite a while, which is probably why it was kicking her ass right now.

She groaned out loud, forcing her eyes open. She couldn’t help but think that ever since that match when she loaned Skye her coat, she had been sleeping a lot more. It felt… good? Obviously right now it didn’t, but every other time…

Water. That’s what she needed right now. 

She practically had to drag herself from her bed to leave the room. Thankfully Evie didn't seem to need her this morning, so she wouldn’t have to deal with the Ice Witch’s loudness on her way to the kitchen. Her head definitely wouldn’t be able to handle that much excitement without exploding.

Luckily it seemed that she wasn’t the only one suffering, because Pip and Viktor were also in the kitchen nursing cups of hot coffee, with their heads low and wearing expressions of discomfort.

“Mornin’” Pip rasped. Viktor gave her a halfhearted wave before taking another long sip of coffee.

She waved in return before getting herself a cup of water. As much as she wanted to just down the drink to quench her parched throat, she decided against it in favor of taking small sips. The kitchen was mostly quiet after that, and for a split-second Maeve thought that Pip and Viktor had fallen asleep in their coffee. 

Apparently they almost had, as they both jumped up when Ying entered the kitchen with a loud cry of good morning. Maeve gave the healer a small wave as she finished her drink, but Ying instead pulled her into a hug.

“Uh, hi?” she said confusedly, awkwardly patting Ying’s back.

“I’m happy you finally did it, Maeve!” Ying replies happily.

Now she was confused. “What… did I do?”

Ying laughed. “Oh, you know! Everyone is talking about it!”

“Talking…about…what?”

“You and Skye of course!”

The reply came from Pip, but it still left Maeve speechless.

“Wait, what?” 

“At the pub, you and Skye? You know, the kiss?” responded Pip confusedly.

“What about it? She just thanked me for defending her.”

“Maeve…she kissed you and then didn’t leave your side for the rest of the night.” Pip retorted, with an eyebrow raised.

“She was…very grateful.”

“Maeve, you’re being ridiculous. Are you seriously trying to convince us that there are no hidden feelings between you and Skye?” Ying said with a stern look.

“Even if there are, it’s not like she likes me back, right?” Maeve hated to admit it out loud, but at this point there was no use denying it anymore. She liked Skye…a lot. Not that it was news to anyone else around her, but still.

“She does Maeve, I can tell.” 

“Oh yeah? How?” She challenged.

“The rooftop?” Ying said with a suggestive grin.

“Th-That doesn’t count-!”

“How about the fact that she hasn’t flirt with everything in a twenty-mile radius since the coat incident?” Pip said cheekily.

“Shut it, Pip!”

“Maeve, you almost killed a man for touching her inappropriately, and then she kissed you. If she doesn’t like you back, then loves doesn’t exist.” Viktor’s head rose from the table, and then immediately slammed back down when he finished speaking. The Lone Wolf’s input was unexpected, but it still left Maeve with a rosy tint on her cheeks. 

“Maeve…go talk to her. You still have a bit of time before she leaves for her match.” Ying gently encouraged, nudging her towards the door.

“Yeah! Go give her a real kiss this time!”

“PIP!”

Maeve was tempted to use Prowl to get as far away from the trio as physically possible. Instead, she dragged her feet in a petty fashion, making sure they would be able to hear her dragging feet all the way down the hall.

Eventually she began to walk normally, but not to where the trio had wanted her to. Instead she walked until she reached a door not many entered willingly. She knocked twice, and waited.

When the door opened, Seris seemed surprised to see her.

“What’s up?” She started.

“I must admit, I did not foresee this…” Seris muttered.

“Trust me, neither did I. Can…I talk to you?”

“…enter.”

The Oracle moved aside, gesturing for Maeve to enter her room. She didn’t know what she expected Seris’ room to look like, but it most certainly wasn’t this. While the room was dimly lit, it wasn’t particularly menacing. In fact, the only thing that set her on edge were Seris’ multiple versions of her lantern-weapon-thing hanging on her wall. Other than that, the room could’ve looked like anyone’s, even hers. 

Seris gestured for her to sit on one of the floor cushions as she sat on the adjacent one. Maeve sat cross-legged, drumming her fingers against her boot. While Seris herself didn’t scare her, it was the power she had that made her heart beat harshly in her chest.

“You are nervous to speak with me?” Seris observed.

“No. Well, maybe? I didn’t feel like this when I was walking here.” Her discomfort confused her. She didn’t feel anxious about being here, and yet her body was reacting as if she was.

“Perhaps it is the spirit possessing you that feels that way. It is afraid I will send it back to the abyss.”

At the mention of her spirit, Maeve’s heartbeat excelled. She sucked in a breath, wary of the sudden burst of energy. 

“Apologies, Maeve. I did not mean to cause your spirit distress.”

It was common knowledge amongst the Paladins of the source of Maeve’s powers. However, no one had spoken about her spirit so much before, in fact, she didn’t even know anyone outside of her gang knew about the incident. But apparently, Seris did.

“How do you know about that?” She questioned after the sudden spike in her heartbeat subsided.

“I am an Oracle of the Abyss. Being able to see spirits comes with the job.” Seris said with a casual shrug. “Have you not noticed the adrenaline you feel on the battlefield when you eliminate me? I make mention of your eyes every time.”

“Well, now that you mention it…” She had always written it off as the after effects of using Prowl. Maybe she should ask more about her spirit…

No. Not now, at least. She came here with a purpose.

“I assume you didn’t come here to discuss the spirit inhabiting you? I’m afraid it would be a dangerous process to remove it if it does not wish to leave.”

Maeve shook her head. “No, I actually…came to ask you for a favor.”

Seris tilted her head in confusion. “A favor? What kind?”

“I…I need you to look into my future. I need you to tell me about it.” Maeve asked nervously. 

Seris hesitated a moment before speaking. “I…I’m afraid I can’t do that. It’s blocking me.”

“What? What’s blocking you?”

“The spirit…It’s powerful, very powerful. I’ve never encountered such a strong spirit before…” Seris trailed off, though she seemed to be concentrating on something.

“So…that’s it then?” Her question snapped Seris out of whatever she had been concentrating on.

“No. While I can’t see your future, I can make a healthy assumption that the reason you asked me to do so is because of Skye.”

Did the entire base know about that?!

“…Am I that obvious?” She said in defeat.

“Just a bit. While I can’t see your future, I can see the futures of everyone else on the base, including Skye’s.”

Maeve perked up almost instantly. “So…you can tell me if…?”

“No, that would be rude. I don’t go around telling people the futures of others.” 

She deflated again, a disappointed pout reaching her lips. “Oh…”

“But, I can offer you this advice. Speak with her, today preferably. She is looking for you.” Seris said cryptically.

“What, why?”

“That, you will have to find out for yourself. Oh, you should leave now, actually.”

Seris stood abruptly, and gestured for Maeve to follow. In confusion she followed until they reached the door. Seris stopped her for a few seconds, before abruptly opening the door and leading her out. As soon as she was out of the room, Seris shut the door, leaving Maeve confused and alone.

“Hey! What-!”

“Hey, Maeve!”

_Oh…shit._

“I’ve been looking for you!” Skye said, jogging up to her. 

“Hey, Skye.” She responded with a small wave.

_I hate you, Seris. So. Much._

“You know how I have that match today right? Well, my gauntlet’s been malfunctioning lately, I wanted to see if you’d cover for me today.” Skye spoke in an apologetic tone, one that Maeve couldn’t ignore.

“Yeah, sure. No problem.” _You’re absolutely useless. Gods, you can’t even say no to her._

Skye perked up, capturing the flanker in a tight hug. “Thanks so much, Maeve! I really appreciate it.”

The stomping of heavy feet echoed through the hall, and Maeve easily identified them as Makoa’s. He poked his head into the hall, unbothered by Skye’s hold on Maeve. “We leave in five, girls. Finish your goodbyes quickly!”

Skye finally released her a began a quick briefing of the match. “The location is Splitstone Quarry, you know, that new map? It’s a capture point, and plenty of good places for you to hide. I’m bummed that I have to miss out, but I’m sure you’ll do great.”

Maeve nodded numbly, painfully distracted by the little space between them. Finally as Skye finished talking, she leaned forward, planting another kiss on her cheek. Unlike the kiss at the bar, this kiss was soft. Tender. Warm. 

“Stay safe out there, and kick ass.” Skye finished with a bright smile.

Maeve nodded, resisting the urge to lay her hand on her cheek. Skye turned to walk away, snapping Maeve out of her daze. “Wait, Skye!”

Skye turned, almost too excitedly. “Yeah?”

She hesitated, one of the worst things she could do in her line of work. Her mouth opened, the words dancing in her mind and yet still out of her reach. “I…” _Really like you. I want to be with you. I can’t stop thinking about you. I want to kiss you._

“I’ll see you later!” 

_Fuck!_

While Skye didn’t visibly deflate at the words, but her eyes seemed almost disappointed. “Yeah, see ya later, Tiger.”

Skye disappeared a moment later, and Maeve slumped forward. “Fuck…” She whispered out loud. The disappointment in Skye’s eyes hit her harder than she wanted to admit. Like she let her down, or something. She fucked up. Big time. _Why didn’t I just say it?! Damn it!_

She didn’t have time to dwell on it now, unfortunately. She had a match to attend.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry

_“MEDIC! WE NEED MEDICS!”_

_What’s happening?_

_“SHE’S DYING!”_

_Someone dying?_

_“What happened?! Why is she bleeding?!”_

_Ying?_

_“Respawn went down, Zhin didn’t know! It was an accident!”_

_Zhin? What…?_

_Pain. Why was there so much pain?_

_What was that smell? Copper, blood? Why was there blood?_

_“Hang on Maeve, please hang on!”_

_Darkness._

 

Skye was in the workshop commonly used by Barik, Pip, and Ruckus fixing her gauntlet. She finally unjammed the gear causing her poison bolts to misfire, and grinned contently. It had taken the better part of an hour to finally locate the tiny gear and replace it, but it was definitely worth the hassle.

She secured the gauntlet to her wrist and fired it into an old beaten up steel beam that Barik frequently tested his turrets with. The bolts fire seamlessly, making her grin wider. Now that that was out of the way, she still had time to waste before Maeve and the others got back from Splitstone Quarry.

She was tired of waiting, and not for them to get back. When Maeve got back, she was going to come clean. She was going to confess to Maeve about how she really felt, no more batting around the bush. While it had only been a couple of weeks since that day in spawn when Maeve first gave her the coat, Skye had to admit that Maeve had on her mind long before. She had been discouraged at first when she realized that her fellow flanker had been avoiding her, but after that day in spawn, she knew she had to at least try and establish a friendship with the feisty girl.

Then that dawn, when they had watched the sun rise together she knew friendship wouldn’t cut it. When she had opened up to her about her past, so easily, she let herself be hopefully, let herself give in to the possibility that she returned her feelings. The feeling had been so strong that it scared her, when was the last time she felt so strongly about someone? What drew her in?

Maeve was aggressive, relentless and ruthless in battle, all things she admired in her line of work. And yet she knew, what had her smitten was the adorable kitten that lied deep inside that tiger. Maeve was vigilant and protective, never hesitating to defend someone she cared for. She had to admit, what had happened at the bar startled her. She hadn’t expected Maeve to reaction such a way, and yet watching the pink haired flanker choke out the man who touched her made her swoon. She was always looking out for threats looming over the horizon with those crystal blue eyes, ready to face whatever challenge was in her way head on. 

And her passion for what she loved, her strong will, her playful personality…

_Everything._

Love was never Skye’s thing. She was a heartbreaker; her affection was a weapon to lower people’s guards before a poison bolt ended their life. Her compassion was reserved, concealed under a hidden agenda that ended with someone dead. She had been trained to use her head, not her heart. As an assassin, she was not meant to feel.

But Maeve? She just might be the one to change that.

Skye hadn’t even realized she had drifted off until screams filled her ears, a symphony of stampeding feet and screams of horror that shattered the illusion that Skye had surrounded herself with.

“MEDIC! WE NEED MEDICS!”

_What the hell?_

“SHE’S DYING!”

Skye didn’t hesitate to speed out of the workshop to the source of the screams, which ended up being a crowd in the med bay on base, consisting of Makoa, Lian, Ying, Pip, Grover, and Zhin. They surrounded a bed holding something, or someone judging from the small drips of blood getting on the sheets. The person was being held down by Makoa, while Ying, her illusions, Pip, and Grover stayed hunched over them, blocking her view completely.

“What happened? Why is she bleeding?!” cried Ying, her arms moving tirelessly over the person.

Lian spoke up, staring down at the blood as if unsure what else to do. “Respawn when down, Zhin didn’t know, it was an accident!”

At the mention of his name, Zhin looked away sharply, guilt and shame flooding his eyes. Under his breath, Skye could tell he was muttering, though she wasn’t sure if they were prayers or apologies. Both, most likely.

Pip poured his last potion, blood on his fur and tears staining what wasn’t dyed red.

“Hang on, Maeve, please hang on!”

Suddenly, everything was cold. One second she was staring in confusion, and the next she’s a frozen statue, her limbs not responding despite her mind traveling a thousand miles per hour. Her chest was heavy, weighed down by what felt like cement, making her breaths come out shallow and stuttered.

And as the edges of her vision grew darker, the crowd parted just enough for Skye to see Maeve, covered in bloody slashes, her face deathly pale. Her throat closed as she tried to say her name, but a sob took its place.

The only person to notice was Zhin, who looked up at her from the corner of the room. Clutched in his white knuckled fist was his sword, coated in blood. Maeve’s blood. As her body went numb, the last thing she remembered was rage. Fiery rage, her fist meeting flesh, and screaming. 

_So. Much. Screaming._

 

She hoped that it was a dream when she opened her eyes next. She wanted to wake up in her bed, awoken by the sounds of Evie’s and Pip’s antics or by someone of base yelling at Maeve for ‘borrowing’ something of theirs. Maybe if she was lucky she’d wake up on the rooftop, watching the sunrise with Maeve at her side.

Instead she awakens alone, in an unfamiliar bed, to complete and utter silence. 

She sits straight up, a gasp on her lips. As soon as she makes it clear that she was awake, the only other occupant in the room stands and approaches her. Ying is abnormally quiet, and her head was hung low. 

“Ying…?”

The healer finally looked up, revealing her tired bloodshot eyes. 

“She almost didn’t make it.” She whispered, fresh tears gathering in the corners of her eyes.

Skye felt a thick lump form in her throat, the burn in the back of her eyes. “So, she…?”

“She hasn’t woken up…but she is alive.”

Skye nodded, she should feel better, relieved, but instead she feels awful, like the wind was knocked out of her. She tries to speak again, but suddenly she’s overcome with the image of Maeve, broken and bleeding in that bed, barely hanging on to life. Before she knows it, she’s crying with the healer.

“It’s my fault…it’s all my fault.” She eventually gets out.

Maeve almost died. She almost lost one of the most important people in her life, and it was all her fault. _What if she blames me? What if she never wants to talk to me again? What…what if she doesn’t wake up?_

Her inner turmoil is interrupted when Ying places a firm hand on her shoulder. “What happened was not your fault, Skye. It was an accident.”

She shook her head. “But if I had just-!”

“If you had gone then it would’ve been you on that bed! Or it could’ve been Lian or Kinessa or anyone! It just happened to happen to Maeve. Nobody could’ve anticipated that Respawn would fail, and you shouldn’t blame yourself for that.”

Ying’s speech lifted a bit of the burden from her chest, but still couldn’t make the guilt subside completely. “Thank you, Ying.” She said quietly, her tears drying on her cheeks. 

Ying gave her a small smile, one that didn’t reach her eyes. “She’s cleared to have visitors. You should visit her, and try and apologize to Zhin? You hit him very hard, you know.”

Skye scowled at the mention of the Tyrant, but Ying shook her head in response. “It really was an accident. While you’ve only been out of it for a day, I think he’s stayed the longest by her side. He truly does feel guilty about it.”

Ying is trying, but it’s in vain. No matter what, Skye only feels resentment towards the Tyrant, even if it was just an accident. He almost took Maeve from her, before she could tell her how she felt. With her thoughts drifting back to Maeve, so does the ache in her chest and the burn in her eyes. She starts to let her thoughts run wild, and now she’s thinking of what would’ve happened if…

_No. Don’t think about that._

“I need to see her.”

Ying just nods, and gestures for Skye to follow. It takes little time to reach the room, and Skye walks in without hesitation, leaving Ying in the hallway. 

As soon as she walks in, any remaining strength she had disappeared. 

Maeve looked so small in the bed, it made Skye’s skin crawl. She looked like everything she wasn’t supposed to look like, everything she would hate to look like. Small, weak, sickly. The Maeve she knew was strong, cocky, and confident. Not this.

There was a chair already at her bed side, probably already used a dozen times by her fellow Paladins. There were gifts on the bedside table, and it was almost painfully obvious which ones were from who. Flowers from Grohk, Willow, and Inara’s garden, a pelt from Tyra’s latest hunt, and Bomb King’s Poppy bomb that seemed to be asleep. She was sure there was more to come, especially if Maeve was like… _this_ …for an extended period of time.

She needed to stop procrastinating. She sat down in the chair, bringing herself to finally look at Maeve’s face.

It was unscarred, thankfully. While she was sure that Maeve was no stranger to scars, she couldn’t help but think that she wouldn’t appreciate one on her face. She wouldn’t have either, if she was honest with herself. It would only serve as a glaring reminder that this was her fault.

_Your fault. Your fault. Your fault._

The words taunted her in a dozen different voices, hers, Ying’s, Maeve’s, even Zhin’s. She squeezed her eyes shut in frustration, but the act only caused hot angry tears to leak from her eyes. She leaned forward and grabbed Maeve’s hand, curling her fingers through Maeve’s limp hand.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry…” She whispered, squeezing Maeve’s hand as if it were the last thing she could do.

_“Please…forgive me…”_


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Out of everywhere Skye expects to go today, the Abyss was probably the lowest on the list.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IM BACK

Skye hadn’t even realized she had fallen asleep until an excruciating pain in the back of her neck forced her out of her sleep. She groaned as she rose from the awkward position she must’ve fallen asleep in, with half her body strewn over Maeve’s bed while the other half still sat in the uncomfortable chair. As she tried to rub the bleariness from her eyes, she realized that her hand was still linked with Maeve’s.

Reluctantly she let go and rubbed her eyes, and looked around the room.

“I was beginning to wonder when you would rouse.”

Skye let out an undignified shout of shock as she realized that at the other side of Maeve’s bed was Seris, seated with her legs crossed on her own chair. The Oracle seemed to be idly playing with the centerpiece of her lantern, letting the globe dance around her hand.

“Apologies.”

Skye could only nod, still gathering her bearings from her sleep. “What…?”

“Am I doing here? Many reasons, actually.”

“Well, maybe start one at a time then?” Skye responded confusedly.

“While you slept, Ying, Grover, and Pip came through to offer their own treatments in an attempt to wake her, but none have succeeded. I believe I may be able to help.”

Suddenly Skye found herself more awake than before. “You can help her?”

Seris nodded calmly as she returned the centerpiece of her lantern to its spot. “Yes. But I require your assistance, if you are willing to help.” 

“Yes! Yes, anything!” She made no attempt to hide the desperation from her tone, because she would’ve given anything to see those icy blue eyes again.

Seris rose from her seat and outstretched her hand towards her. She stared at it for a few seconds before grabbing it firmly. Seris raised her lantern between them so it hovered over Maeve, and Skye couldn’t help but stare as the lantern began to glow.

“ _Gaze into the abyss._ ”

Skye’s entire arm went numb as Seris whispered the words, and a sudden tug in the back of her neck made her vison go black for a split second. When the darkness reseeded from her vision, she was still holding Seris’ hand, but Maeve was gone.

Actually, _everything_ was gone. It took some time for her vision to adjust, but when it did, Skye found that they were surrounded by a vast nothingness. The only source of light came from Seris’ lantern, but even with the light it provided Skye couldn’t find anything but the nothingness.

“Where…?” She tried to let of Seris, but the Oracle tightened her grip.

“Do not let go unless you wish to become lost to the abyss.”

“…Wait, we’re in the abyss? Like the actually abyss?”

“Yes.”

“…oh.”

“No, that does not mean you are technically dead. As long as you hold onto me your soul will be fine.”

“How did you-?”

“Oracle of the Abyss, remember?”

“Oh, right…”

Seris lead the way, drifting forward with her lantern held up before them. Skye, completely out of her element and very confused, let herself be led by the hand. Eventually when the silence became maddening, she cleared her throat.

“So, uh…is there a reason why we’re here?”

Seris nodded. “You, like many others know that Maeve is possessed by a powerful spirit. However, what many do not know are the side effects of such a relationship. A mortal who becomes possessed by a spirit loses their ability to dream. Instead, when they sleep their minds are sent to the abyss. I believe this may be the reason why Maeve has yet to wake. Her spirit may be preventing her from returning to the mortal realm.”

Skye couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy towards Maeve, even though she knew she would hate getting pity about anything. She made a mental note to ask Seris about the other side effects of spiritual possession at a later time.

“Why is it so…empty?” She asked tentatively, still unsettled by the complete and utter lack of anything.

“It is not, actually. Some spirits are tricky beings, they can be crafty and deceiving. If they do not wish to be seen, you will not be able to see them. There are hundreds of thousands of spirits around us, you just lack the understanding and training to see them.”

Somehow the answer made Skye feel worse than the emptiness did. Now she was glancing over her shoulder every now and then, as if trying to find something she knew she wouldn’t find. She had been so distracted, she crashed right into Seris when she stopped abruptly.

“There.”

Skye looked, but still couldn’t see anything. However, she couldn’t deny that she felt… _something_. Something familiar. Seris tossed the centerpiece of her lantern out of its place the same way she did in battle, but it didn’t draw anything into it like it did normally. Instead it seemed to glow brighter, enough to make Skye flinch. When the flash cleared, it seemed to open a tear, one that allowed Skye to see what she previously couldn’t.

Maeve was laying on the ground, idly blowing strands of hair out of her face as a feline-like spirit patrolled around her like a guard. Her eyes burned, and relief flooded her seeing Maeve there, healthy, strong, and most importantly alive.

“Maeve!”

Maeve jumped, shooting up from her laying position and looking around wildly.

“Skye…?”

“You must step through to-“

Skye didn’t let Seris finish her sentence before she shot forward, practically dragging the Oracle behind her. She stepped through the tear fearlessly, sinking onto her knees and capturing Maeve into a one-armed hug.

“Wait, are you real? You’re both real, right? I’m not imagining that you’re hugging me and…holding hands with Seris?” 

Skye couldn’t help but just laugh, hugging her tighter. “I missed you, tiger.”

“…definitely real.” Maeve muttered as she returned the hug. 

The tender moment was ruined as the spirit patrolling dashed forward, jumping onto Maeve’s shoulder. It hissed venomously towards Seris, who seemed indifferent towards the spirit’s hostility.

“Calm yourself, we came for the girl, not you.”

The cat hissed again.

Seris seemed irked, as if the spirit had said something insulting. She approached it, and sank down to sit cross legged in front of it as it jumped off of Maeve’s shoulder. They seemed to enter a trance like state, both unmoving and facing towards each other. Neither Skye nor Maeve wanted to risk interrupting.

“Did you know what it was saying?” Skye asked quietly.

“You mean you couldn’t understand it?” responded Maeve confusedly.

“All I heard was hissing. No words.”

Maeve seemed surprised by that, but began to translate. “It said, ‘you won’t take her from this realm.’ It said it wouldn’t let me go.”

“Why? Why won’t it let you go?” _Back to me?_

Maeve frowned. “It won’t tell me…it hasn’t been talking at all, until you guys came anyways. There isn’t much to do here, obviously, so…”

Skye frowned, reaching over to wrap her arm around Maeve’s shoulder, hoping to convey her understanding. “Well, we’re here now. You’re not alone anymore.”

Maeve smiled, letting her head rest against Skye shoulder. “Thanks, Skye.”

Skye smiled back, but slowly the smile disappeared from her face. “Hey, Maeve?”

Maeve lifted her head, and Skye missed the contact almost immediately. “Yeah?”

Skye was sure that the only reason why there wasn’t a lump in her throat was because she was technically having an out of body experience, but it didn’t stop her from stuttering. “I- you, listen, I- “

“Yeees?” Maeve egged on, a cheeky smile slowly forming on her face.

Skye lightly shoved her. “Shut up, I’m trying to apologize!”

“For what?”

Skye stared at her incredulously. “For this! For making you go to that match, stranding you here! All of it, it’s my fault!”

“What? No it isn’t!” Maeve argued.

“But it is! If my gauntlet hadn’t malfunctioned then you wouldn’t be in this situation. You would be safe…” she trailed off, a heavy sadness settling in her chest.

“But…then _you_ would’ve gotten hurt.”

“But _you_ got hurt instead!”

“I would get ulted by Zhin a thousand times if it meant you wouldn’t get hurt!”

Any argument Skye could’ve rebutted with died on her tongue at the shameless confession. She searched Maeve’s crystal-like eyes, but she found no regrets, no waver, no shame. Still, she couldn’t help but ask.

“Do…you really mean that?” 

“Of course, I do! I- _mmph_!”

Skye couldn’t hold herself back any longer. She surged forward, capturing Maeve’s lips with her own and effectivly cutting of the rest of her sentence. She wanted to convey a million feelings running through her mind, to make sure Maeve knew how she felt.

There was a moment of tense fear when Maeve didn’t respond, but she couldn’t help but sigh into the kiss when Maeve finally kissed back. Not wanting to overwhelm her, she pulled away soon after.

“I…”

“I really like you!” Maeve blurted out. The flanker snapped her mouth shut, looking absolutely mortified, and Skye couldn’t help but chuckle.

“I really like you too, Maeve.”

Maeve smiled shyly, and Skye couldn’t help but admired the look on her face.

“You know, out of every situation I could’ve had my first kiss in, I would’ve never guessed it would happen in the abyss…while you’re holding hands with someone else.”

She had completely forgotten that her hand was still firmly grasped in Seris’, and she couldn’t help but laugh. Soon after Maeve joined in, the absurdity of the situation finally settling in. After their laughter died down, Maeve cleared her throat.

“Hey, Skye?”

“Yes?”

“Well…when we get out of here, do you think you could do that again?”

Skye smiled, wrapping her arm around Maeve again. “Tiger, when we get out of here you can kiss me as much as you want.”

Whatever Maeve was going to say was cut off abruptly as Seris and Maeve’s spirit finally broke out of their trance. Seris stood abruptly, taking Skye with her, and the spirit slowly slunk off to the side, although it seemed to keep its eyes trained on Maeve.

“We have reached an agreement,” Seris started, “You are free to leave now, Maeve. You will be kept here no longer.”

Maeve bounced up from her seated position, grinning wildly. “Yes!”

Skye smiled, but immediately frowned as a thought surfaced. “Wait, you said you needed my help! I didn’t do anything.”

Seris, much to both her own and Maeve’s surprise, actually chuckled. 

“Oh, you did help. You just didn’t help _me_.”

The smallest traces of a grin were on the Oracle’s face, quickly hidden as she turned her head away. Skye couldn’t help but let her eyebrows rise.

“Did…you just play match maker for us?”

Seris hummed in response, not quite giving an answer.

“You totally did, didn’t you!”

“Some questions are not meant to be answered.”

“Okay, now you’re just messing with me!”

“Perhaps.”

Maeve burst out laughing at the exchange. Skye couldn’t help but pout in response as Seris began to retrieve the center piece of her lantern.

“I’ll see you on the other side!” Maeve called out though her giggling.

And before a sharp tug could make Skye see darkness again, she smiled.

“See you there, tiger.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> what better place to have your first kiss than The Abyss am I right haha


End file.
